10th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Scots

The 10th Battalion the Royal Scots was, till the creation of the Territorial Force, the 8th (Volunteer) Battalion, and earlier still the 1st Administrative Battalion Linlithgowshire Rifle Volunteers.

The 10th (Cyclist) Battalion was one of only two Scottish Cyclist Units formed when Lord Haldane created the Territorial Force in 1908.

HQ Company - Linlithgow

A Company - Linlithgow with a drill station at Philipstoun

B Company - Boness with a drill station at Carriden

C Company - Armadale with drill stations at Whitburn, Pumpherston and Blackridge

D Company - Bathgate

E Company - Uphall with drill stations at Broxburn and Livingston

F Company - Fauldhouse with a drill station at Harthill

G Company - West Calder with a drill station at Addiewell

H Company - Kirkliston with drill stations at Dalmeny, Winchburgh and Newbridge

The unit, established at a time when the horse was very such to the fore, were in several respects unique. Equipped with cycles, motor cycles and motor transport, the cyclist battalions were undoubtedly, the forerunners of the mechanised forces of the British Army.

Shortly before 1914, as the war clouds gathered, it was realised that in the event of war with Germany there was the possibility of attempted invasion of Great Britain. Plans were accordingly made to meet such a situation should it arise. The formation of the cyclists was to form an outpost line on the cliffs and beaches and it is obvious that because of their mobility the cyclist units were created for this purpose.

The mobilisa­tion of the 1st/10th Royal Scots, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel M. W. Henderson, was carried through at Linlithgow without a hitch at the beginning of August 1914.

The first move of the unit was through Edinburgh to East Linton in East Lothian, and thereafter, coast defence was its principal role.

In October 1914 Lieut.-Colonel Henderson left to command a New Army Unit, and he was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel, subsequently Colonel, A. P. Simpson. The battalion was accepted for foreign service, but the coast defence duty, for which it had been detailed, prevented its employment abroad as a unit, though, by the end of 1916, fully 90 per cent, of the original personnel had gone abroad for service with other units.

Early in 1917 Colonel Simpson left the battalion for Foreign Service, and the next C.O. was the Marquis of Linlithgow.

In April 1918 the battalion was transferred from the Scottish coast to Ireland, first to Claremorris, then to the Curragh in August, to Port Arlington in October, and to Ballinrobe, CountyMayo, in November.

The Marquis of Linlithgow relinquished the command early in 1919 and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel R. N. Coulson, D.S.O., under whom the 1st/10th moved in April to Castlebar, where Lieut.-Colonel J. J. Cameron, D.S.O., M.C., subsequently took over the command from Lieut.-Colonel Coulson.

In the autumn of 1919 the battalion went to Ennistimon, CountyClare, where the majority of the men were demobilised, the cadre being despatched to Linlithgow in January 1920, where demobilisation was completed on the 26th February.

Imperial Service Volunteers

Departure From East Linton

The Army Council recently decided to give Imperial Service Cyclist Battalions a representative, in the meantime, in the newly formed Army Cyclist Corps, and called for the names of Volunteers, the officers being restricted to those not above the rank of Captain.

Later it was notified that one officer, nominated by seniority, and 20 men were to be furnished by each Imperial Service Cyclist Battalion out of those who had volunteered, and the officer commanding the 10th Imperial Service Battalion The Royal Scots received instructions to send Captain T.W. Hutchison with 20 men.

Captain Hutchison had, in the meantime, met with a slight accident, which involved his being laid up in the Military Hospital at Craigleith, and as the Medical Officer was not able to pass him as completely fit, the War Office called for the next Senior Captain.

The detachment therefore left East Linton n Thursday night for Southampton under Captain George Wolf, Jun. seconded for service with the Army Cyclist Corps, and it is understood that they have now joined the Expeditionary Force on the continent.

The detachment which travelled south in company with an officer and a similar number of men from the Imperial Service Battalion of the Highland Cyclist, was made up of the following: -

Royal Scots Number

Rank

Surname

Name

Company

Army Cyclist Corps Number

Remarks

Capt

Wolf

George

Armadale

Killed in Action 02/06/1915

690

Sgt

Yates

John

Kirkliston

612

Died of Wounds 28/05/1918

Cpl

Murdoch

John

Uphall

613

460

LCpl

Allan

Robert

Fauldhouse

614

MM Tank Corps

LCpl

Reid

John

Armadale

615

MG Corps

Pte

Adamson

James

Fauldhouse

630

746

Pte

Bradley

Walter C

Armadale

616

Killed in Action 19/10/1918

Pte

Brownlie

R

Uphall

617

622

Pte

Clarkson

Ebenezar

Bathgate

618

Labour Corps

747

Pte

Cole

Samuel

Armadale

619

6053

Pte

Connel l

John

West Calder

620

Killed in Action 06/07/1915

Pte

Devlin

Andrew

Bo’ness

621

868

Pte

Dutton

John

Uphall

622

Wounded

Pte

Harvie

Andrew

Linlithgow

623

Pte

Jamieson

Robert

West Calder

624

Pte

McCallum

Henry

Fauldhouse

625

1020

Pte

Mains

Robert

Bo’ness

626

Killed in Action 09/07/1915

Pte

Rarity

David

Kirkliston

627

MM

Pte

Simpson

Robert

Bathgate

628

Pte

Stewart

Robert

Kirkliston

629

Pte

Walker

James

Linlithgow

631

All enlisted into the Army Cyclist Corps on the 17th December 1914, and were sent to France on the 14th January 1915.

10th Royal Scots Photos

2nd/10th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Scots

In September 1914, the war office authorised all units of the Territorial Force to form second and third line units. Following an intensive recruiting campaign, The 2/10th (Cyclist) Battalion, The Royal Scots, was raised in ten days with recruits from the towns and villages of the County. It mobilised as a Battalion on 13th October, 1914.

In common with other units at the time, great difficulty was experienced in obtaining equipment. Cycles were more easily obtained than clothing and rifles.

Ultimately the Battalion moved to Berwick where it was employed on coast defence duties, the threat of invasion was very real at this time, and as long as this threat existed there was little hope of the Battalion proceeding overseas as a complete unit. However, at intervals and in total, hundreds of men were allowed to volunteer for service overseas. The first draft, all volunteers left for the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Later drafts proceeded overseas to join other Battalions of Royal Scots and certain Lowland Regiments, primarily Royal Scots Fusiliers and Kings Own Scottish Borderers.

In 1917 the 2/10th Royal Scots with the 1/ 10th Royal Scots and other English Cyclist Battalions were moved to Ireland.

Early in 1918, the 2/10th Royal Scots was brought up to strength and was part of the Expeditionary Force sent to North Russia. It embarked at Newcastle and landed at Archangel. During the autumn and winter of 1918 - 1919, the Battalion took part in a difficult and harassing campaign and suffered many casualties, the operations' extending between the Rivers Dwina and Vaga.

In the course of operations two Russian Field Guns were captured, one of the guns now stands in front of the Guard Room at Dreghorn Barracks.

On its return to this country in July 1919, the Battalion landed at Leith and was met by the Provost and Magistrates of Leith and later accorded a civic reception by Edinburgh Town Council. The Battalion then proceeded to Linlithgow where it was accorded a civic reception by the Town Council. Demobilisation followed, the CountyBattalion had completed almost five years of active service at home and abroad.

10th Royal Scots Medals

Number

Surname

Unit Served with Overseas

907

Alexander

10th Royal Scots, 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers

2097

Smith

2nd/10th Royal Scots, IBD, 7th/8th Kings Own Scottish Borderers

2957

Taylor

2nd/10th Royal Scots, 6th/7th Royal Scots Fusiliers

4358

Moreland

13th Royal Scots, 7th Scottish Rifes

6027

Daly

Royal Scots, Labour Corps

7277

Allan

5th Royal Warwickshire Regiment, 4th Royal Scots

307179

Borthwick

2/8th Royal Warwicks

375029

McCord

15th Royal Scots, 2nd Royal Scots

375094

Anderson

17th Royal Scots

375128

Falconer

2nd/10th Royal Scots

375152

Edwards

11th Royal Scots

375493

Brown

5th/6th Royal Scots

375509

Ferguson

9th Royal Scots

375616

Anderson

9th Royal Scots

375806

Dickson

2nd/10th Royal Scots, 915 Company Labour Corps, 44th Royal Fusiliers

375841

Burnie

15th Royal Scots, 2nd Royal Scots

375911

Sime

Royal Scots, Labour Corps

375938

Spiers

16th Royal Scots, 5th/6th Royal Scots

375958

Hume

11th Royal Scots

376355

Crosbie

12th Royal Scots

376457

Cooper

2nd Royal scots

376497

Stevens

16th Royal Scots, 7th/8th Kings Own Scottish Borderers

376857

Barley

2nd/10th Royal Scots

376871

Clark

2nd/10th Royal Scots

376907

Legg

2nd/10th Royal Scots

376908

Lumb

2nd/10th Royal Scots

376909

Larsen

2nd/10th Royal Scots

376916

Marshall

2nd/10th Royal Scots, Army Ordinance Corps

376984

McFadyen

2nd/10th Royal Scots

376997

Symons

2nd/10th Royal Scots, Gloucestershire Regiment

377054

Hall

2nd/10th Royal Scots, Somerset Light Infantry

377078

Shearer

2nd/10th Royal Scots

377089

Best

2nd/10th Royal Scots

3756??

Dennis (Charles)

9th Royal Scots

2nd/10th Royal Scots Civic Reception

The surviving members of the 2nd/10th Battalion were honoured by the Provost, Magistrates and Councillors of the Royal Burgh of Linlithgow at a civic reception held on Saturday, 22nd November, in the Town House, Linlithgow.

This was in honour of the 50th Anniversary of the demobilization of the Battalion which was raised in 1914 from within the county of Linlithgow.